While the weather is certainly giving us a reprieve from the normally oppressive August-in-Illinois heat and humidity, the dog days of summer are taking quite a toll on the donations necessary to sustain IFI.

The Illinois Family Institute relies solely on the support of generous individuals to accomplish its work. Summer, as usual, is a financially difficult time for us — yet our pro-family work and ministry does not slow down. These are very busy days, weeks and months here at IFI. In fact, I cannot remember a busier month of July than the one we just finished.

If you appreciate what we do and want to help support the mission of Illinois Family Institute, please consider this appeal for your participation. The easiest way to back our work is to become a Sustaining Partner (aka monthly donor). Donations ranging from $25 – $250 a month help us tremendously as it builds a predictable source of income we can count on. This equips us and strengthens us to fight in the public square for all of our families, and the values we cherish.

Sustaining Partners enable us to keep telling the truth.

The alerts, lobbying, cultural commentaries, special forums, videos and podcast all require money; and frankly, we need a considerable amount of it if we hope to be effective, to circumvent the deceitful media, and to counter the lies and the ugly agenda of the Left. A serious budget enables us to be more effective and to educate even more people. Moreover, recurring contributions mean that we can focus on the important work before us, and we don’t have to keep spending valuable time raising funds.

Your monthly donations are secure and flexible. You choose the amount you wish to give each month and you can change, or cancel, your pledge at any time. Sign up now and make your first donation by credit card online.

Throughout the year, we are engaged in projects, educating lawmakers and the Christian community and scheduling events that I sincerely believe will equip, encourage and activate Christians in our state, and make Illinois a better place for us and for our families.

We are working for a more decent society — one that cherishes, encourages, and protects religious and political freedom, and one that strengthens the most basic building block of any society… the family.

We are blessed to have a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” But our form of government has one key requirement: our participation. We need you to be involved with us to be a part of the solution.

Not only would we like to bring on additional full-time staff this fall, but we have three significant events are planned for the in September and October, and we need sponsors for to help underwrite our costs.

If you are not able to become a Sustaining Partner at this time, would you please consider making a one time donation today?

IFI is a non-profit 501(c)3 research and education organization. Contributions to our work are tax deductible. To make a secure online donation to help strengthen and protect Illinois families, click HERE.

You can also sign up to be a monthly “Sustaining Partner” by making monthly gifts to support our efforts to uphold marriage and family, life and liberty in Illinois.

Please make a gift today and/or become a Sustaining Partner.

Your support at this time is greatly needed– and greatly appreciated.

[Please click here to give your most generous gift; WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!]

Thank you for your love and kindness! I am,

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. Please prayerfully consider making a tax-deductible donation of $25 or $50. You may even be able to bless us with $500, $1000 or even become a sponsor of our annual banquet. Your donations will help keep IFI in public square contending for Jude-Christian values, and the production and distribution of our 2018 Voter Guide.

Please send your gift to Illinois Family Institute at the address below, or click HERE to donate online today!

Give by mail:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

You can also donate by phone with your credit card by calling (708) 781-9328 during normal business hours.

We simply cannot do this important work without the support of people like you.

P.P.S. We are also always looking for a few good people to help share IFI’s work on social media, specifically on Facebook and Twitter. Simply put, we need to reach more people in Illinois and you can help us do that.

Over five years ago, in 2012, Barack Obama was running for a second term. The U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, had been attacked by Islamic terrorists. United States Ambassador Chris Stevens, IMO Sean Smith, and CIA Contractors and former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were all killed in the attack. Yet, the White House and State Department, under the lead of Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, lied repeatedly about the nature and cause of the attack.

Americans were discouraged and mourning the loss of life. Conservatives were discouraged, wondering if our sound, life-giving principles would ever again rule the day and undergird the policies of our nation’s capital.

In that backdrop I wrote an article, “The Great MSM End-Run” in an attempt to awaken conservatives, Christians, to the tools we had available for messaging and coalescing. It was quite evident years and years ago that the Progressive hordes had effectively taken over media, broadcasting, Hollywood, and academia. How could we possibly win elections, let alone hearts and minds if there were no means of dissemination at our disposal?

But the truth was and is, we do have the means and the tools if we are wise enough and disciplined enough to use them. As I wrote just prior to Election 2012:

Why then so much palpable discouragement when real polls that are scientific show it’s a neck and neck race? Why do so many solid conservatives judge the election to be already lost? Because those downcast Americans are not engaging. Consider the Right has the team, we have knowledgeable coaches, we have an ace quarterback and a receiver with great hands and unstoppable wheels. But we’re only playing prevent defense and there’s no one cheering in the stands. Sometimes momentum is everything.

We learned this the hard way in 2008 as Obama excited the young voters, utilized new media, and won the election. This time around, 4 years later, that same youth vote is not as energized, and many voting blocks are polling with lower percentages favoring Obama. The Right needs a new play, an end run…an Elisha moment. The story of this Old Testament battle comes to mind: the king of Israel was surrounded by the enemy and paralyzed by fear. Elisha spoke in 2 Kings chapter 6:

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

That’s where new SOCIAL media, especially Twitter, which is instantaneous and real-time, comes into play. We may all have credible, powerful information, but without unity and action despondency overcomes good intentions. However, if on a daily basis, conservatives are connecting with thousands of other right-minded folks, hope is renewed and the MSM thwarted in their game plan of overwhelming discouragement.

At about the same time, urged by friends across the nation, I wrote two Twitter tutorials that went viral. I encouraged Conservatives:

Contrary to popular opinion, twitter is not a mere megaphone for narcissists: it can be a cyber bully pulpit for enduring ideas and urgent announcements.

. . .

Twitter at first blush is a mere amusing past-time, and may even seem like a “time drain”. Oh it can be fun–absolutely!

But Twitter can also be a powerful media application, which used to good effect, can span the world with life altering news. I say we use it as though our values and Republic depend on it…and so they do.

Keep in mind, in 2008 when I first began using Twitter and social media to connect with my conservative, Christian friends across the nation, almost no one understood what in the world Twitter was or how to use it. News and other TV shows did not have Twitter accounts and did not ask people to “tweet” during their shows.

Now that has changed and we understand the dire stakes: our nation is floundering in sea of lies and immorality and desperately needs our message of hope and life.

That’s where the Illinois Family Institute comes into play. As written at the IFI website:

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) is an independent 501c(3) non-profit ministry dedicated to upholding and re-affirming marriage, family, life and liberty in Illinois.

. . .

IFI works within the state of Illinois to promote and defend biblical truths to foster an environment where families can thrive and reach their full God-given potential to serve and glorify Him–making the most of the opportunities afforded to each of us by His gift of life and liberty.

Illinois Family Institute works hard to disseminate those biblical truths via any and all possible communication mediums.

You can connect with IFI, read articles, share articles, plan to attend IFI events, and get involved in being salt and light.

If you’re reading this, you already know about the Illinois Family Institute website. But there’s more — much more!

Follow and tweet with IFI on Twitter , watch and share their videos on Youtube, interact via the Illinois Family App for Android or iPhone , listen to the weekly Illinois Family Institute podcast, and sign up for Text Alerts — an SOS for critical information and alerts.

Wise King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

The Apostle Peter wrote 2,000 years ago:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Those inspired words are as true today as they were all those millennia ago. Illinois Family Institute is doing their level best to be salt and light, to share God’s vision, and to help all of you equip yourselves with the answers for the hope that is in you.

Join us in this great venture, using the latest iteration of the Gutenberg press — digital and social media — to shine the light, to touch hearts and minds.

The Illinois Family Institute is completely dependent on voluntary contributions of individuals just like you.  Without you, we would be unable to fulfill our mission.  Please consider a donation to support our efforts!

To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

Illinois Family Institute is pleased to announce renowned Christian scholar, author, and lecturer, E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D., as our featured speaker for several forums on Climate Change during the last week in April, in Rockford, Arlington Heights, Orland Park and Peoria.

Dr. Beisner is the spokesman for Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation and an author and speaker on the application of the Biblical world view to economics, government, and environmental policy. He has published eleven books and hundreds of articles, contributed to many other books, and has been a guest on numerous television and radio programs.

You will not want to miss this event as Dr. Beisner answers questions about climate change, the emotional and political influences surrounding this issue, temperature averages, and so much more.

Plus it’s FREE!

CLICK HERE FOR FLYER

Learn how to discern truth and myth in the climate change controversy.

Climate Change & The Christian
What’s True, What’s False, What’s Our Responsibility?

April 25th at Stockholm Inn in Rockford

2420 Charles Street, Rockford, Illinois 61108

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Presentation

(Optional) Dinner at 5 PM, **Reservations are required. Call Jan to RSVP at (815) 621-9497

Click HERE for the Rockford event flyer

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April 26th at Christian Liberty in Arlington Heights

502 Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

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April 27th at Stone Church in Orland Park

10737 Orland Pkwy, Orland Park, IL 60467

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

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April 28th at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria

8607 IL-91, Peoria, IL 61615

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Click HERE for the Peoria event flyer

What others saying about Dr. Beisner:

“… an excellent speaker who …  held my 200-person Bible class spellbound for an hour!” — Dr. Wayne Grudem, Scottsdale Bible Church

“I’ve known two people in my life whose knowledge I would describe as encyclopedic. You’re one of them!” — Dr. R. Fowler White, Dean of Faculty, Knox Theological Seminary

“The people loved his lectures, with many … wishing that he could have spoken more.” — Rev. Phil Kayser, Providential History Festival, Omaha, NE

Subscribe to the IFI YouTube channel
and never miss a video report or special program!

In the service of helping families in their efforts to firmly establish and maintain a biblical worldview, IFI has been hosting annual worldview conferences. Our third annual conference is less than three weeks away. We are thrilled to have Dr. Frank Turek lead our 2017 conference.

Biblical literacy and a solid Christian worldview are vitally important. Christian parents and grandparents must commit to ensuring that their children and grandchildren grow up with a fluent knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. Teach it, memorize it, meditate on it, and live it.

In fact, everyone of us should work intentionally to educate and inform ourselves about the issues of the day and understand the biblical view of these issues, which necessarily requires a biblically informed understanding of human nature. Maintaining a consistent Christian worldview is critically important as our culture is rapidly embracing a secular value system, calling good evil and evil good.

Join us for a wonderful opportunity to enhance your biblical worldview and equip you to more effectively engage the culture:

What:  IFI Worldview Conference with Dr. Frank Turek

When:  Saturday, February 18^th, 10 AM to 3:30 PM

Where:  Village Church of Barrington, 1600 E. Main St., Barrington, IL 60010 (map)

Cost:  $20 per person/$50 per family

Seating is limited. Please register as soon as you are able.  

Register online or call the IFI office during normal business hours at (708) 781-9328.

Click HERE for an event flyer.

Illinois Family Institute is committed to respecting the privacy of our supporters. We have developed this privacy policy to protect your information.

Awareness: Illinois Family Institute (IFI) provides this Privacy Policy to make you aware of our privacy policy, and to inform you of the way your information is used. We also provide you with the opportunity to remove your name from our mailing list, if you desire to do so.

Information Collected: Here are the types of subscriber information that we collect and maintain:

• contact information: name, organization/church, complete address, phone number, email address; 
• payment information: credit card number and expiration date, and billing information; 
• shipping information: name, organization/church, complete address; 
• information you wish to share: questions, comments, suggestions; and 
• your request to receive periodic updates: e.g., to individuals who request it, we will send periodic mailings related to specific public policy alerts, prayer requests, fund-raising appeals, email and snail-mail newsletters.

How Information is Used: Illinois Family Institute uses your information to understand your needs and provide you with better service. Specifically, we use your information to help you complete a transaction, communicate back to you, and update you on ministry happenings. Credit card numbers are used only for authorized donations or payment processing and are not retained for other purposes. We use the comments you offer to provide you with information requested, and we take seriously each recommendation as to how we might improve communication. 

No Sharing of Personal Information: Illinois Family Institute will not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to outside organizations. We assure you that the identity of all our donors will be kept confidential. Use of donor information will be limited to the internal purposes of Illinois Family Institute and only to further the ministry activities and purposes of our mission.

How much personal information do we send to a company when I take action from your email or website? The only personal information that is placed on our petitions is your name, city and/or state. When you take action on one of our alerts which forwards your comments to a company, only your name and email address will be visible. When contacting state or federal elected officials, your email address, name, and street address will be visible to allow your elected official to respond.

How we gather information from users: How we collect and store information depends on the site you are visiting, the activities in which you elect to participate and the services provided. For example, you may be asked to provide information when you register for access to certain portions of one of our sites or request certain features, such as newsletters, news updates, or when you purchase one of our products. You may provide information when you participate in voting and polling activities, online activism or advocacy efforts, and other interactive areas of our site.

Like most web sites, IFI-related sites also collect information automatically and through the use of electronic tools that may be transparent to our visitors. For example, we may use cookie technology to recognize you and hold information from your visit. Among other things, the cookie may store your user name and e-mail address, sparing you from having to re-enter that information each time you visit. 

IFI recognizes and appreciates the importance of responsible use of information collected on this site. For this reason, IFI reserves the option of contacting you from time to time about important issues in which the Illinois Family Institute is involved. In each communication you receive from us, you are given the opportunity to opt-out by using an unsubscribe function provided at the end of each message. 

Children: IFI does not knowingly collect or solicit Personally Identifiable Information from or about children under 13 except as permitted by law. If we discover we have received any information from a child under 13 in violation of this policy, we will delete that information immediately. If you believe IFI has any information from or about anyone under 13, please contact us at the address listed below. 

Removing Your Name From Our Mailing List: It is our desire to not send unwanted mail to our donors. All email correspondence from Illinois Family Institute includes an Unsubscribe button at the bottom of the message. Your request will be honored within 24 hours.

If you have been reading our material over the past several years, you know that IFI is a favorite target of the Left.

Apparently, even the Christmas holiday season cannot temper their hatred of our pro-life and pro-family message.

Last week, a Mr. Reed McCann visited the Facebook page for Illinois Family Institute and left an angry and hateful review and a comment in which he expressed his desire that God kill all of us:

Laurie did a great job trying to reason with Reed, but he decided to take it to an unacceptable level by threatening IFI’s staff with a comment under our article about the 2017 legislative plans of State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. Therefore, we reported his threats to Facebook and banned him from our page outright.

Why does Reed hate us so intensely that he would say this:

“If I were to see any of you *********** cross the street in front of my car I will run you over and then back up and make sure you’re dead.  Fascist hypocritical lying religious zealots should all go ******* die.”

It’s simple: It’s because of what we do and what we represent.

No other organization in Illinois boldly fights for faith, family, and freedom like IFI. It’s why many of you have given to us in the past. And it’s why I hope everyone reading this email will support us: the only pro-family group in our state that can take the fight to our opponents.

A few years ago, socialist Andy Thayer, founder of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network, warned a group of LGBT activists about IFI, calling us a linchpin organization in the battle against sexual anarchy. He has a valid point. If there were no organized opposition, if IFI did not exist, the agenda of the godless would have a much smoother path through the legislature.

Absent a clear moral voice in the public square, our children and grandchildren would likely grow up in an environment where the liberal worldview was the norm. IFI partners with likeminded Illinoisans to speak with a clear moral voice in the public square even in the face of withering hatred.

It is why the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) labels us a “hate group.”  They are desperate to delegitimize our work and message. And since Leftists are unable to respond rationally and coherently, they resort to hurling epithets and misrepresenting us and our positions.

Yet we’re here not only to educate our lawmakers but also to inform and motivate Christian citizens throughout the state, equipping and empowering them to engage our culture. But we cannot do it without your help! Please double our ability to fight for you by supporting the work and ministry of Illinois Family Institute.

In a culture consumed by with debauchery, decay, and death, IFI stands boldly in the public square to shout the truth about God’s design for marriage and family, the sanctity of life, and the importance of religious freedom. His plan would see families thrive and communities blessed. It’s why each and every one of the members of the IFI team is dedicated to our mission.

Will you help us continue to fight for the future of the family? By making a year-end, tax-deductible investment in IFI now, you’ll join other pro-family Illinoisans, enabling us to be your voice in the Land of Lincoln. In order to speak out with a strong, unified, and persuasive voice, we must have financial resources. By giving today, you can help make it happen.

Please consider how you can help us begin 2017 from a place of strength. DONATE ONLINE or call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

Also, I’d like to invite you to visit our Facebook page and “like” us. There is no reason that Equality Illinois (a pro-LGBT group) should have three thousand more Facebook “likes” than we do. While you are there, please take time to rank us and/or write a supportive review.

We appreciate all that you do and ask for your continued prayers and participation.

Thank you for your support! We look forward to partnering with you to speak courageously and winsomely for the beliefs and values we share.

To make a credit card donation over the phone, please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.  You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

Should a boy be able to use the girl’s restroom or locker room when he suffers from a recognized psychological medical condition called “gender dysphoria?”

For most people, the answer is a no-brainer. Twenty or even ten years ago, that question wouldn’t have merited discussion.

However, for well over a year, Illinois school districts have been debating this absurd matter. And they will likely continue to do so.

I’m convinced most Americans still have common sense and those who have “progressed” beyond common sense are still a small minority. Unfortunately, that small minority has the financial resources, and thus the ability, to dominate the culture and the airwaves until the conversation of the absurd is successfully sold as “progress.”

There is only one antidote to this confusion over what constitutes progress — and that is to provide the resources to those who are ready, willing, and able to combat the absurd with common sense.

An organization exists here in Illinois that has a team of veterans who know how to push back against the notion that a biological boy should be able to shower with biological girls in a public high school.

As someone who has worked with IFI on special projects over the years, I believe the Illinois Family Institute is that organization. IFI is well known and respected across the state. Dave Smith has served as its executive director for over a decade and has increased its influence and reach across Illinois. The work of IFI writers such as Laurie Higgins has received national attention. Media Affairs Director Monte Larrick is a media veteran, coming to IFI after many years working for Chicago-based Moody Radio. The IFI celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2017.

The Illinois Family Institute needs your financial support today – and your continued support throughout next year. IFI is currently working on plans to improve and expand its outreach. The many millions of Illinoisans who support Judeo-Christian morality (otherwise called basic common sense) must be equipped with the tools to engage and win the cultural debates. The IFI team is up to that task – but they cannot succeed without your generous support.

Those dollars will help the Illinois Family Institute accomplish goals such as reaching more people with the basic fact that they are not alone and that common sense is alive and well. So many of our fellow Illinoisans (who are busy raising families and working one or more jobs or trying to build a business) read the headlines and despair. They fear that the Left will succeed in their attempts to ignore safety and common decency – even in places like high school locker rooms.

If you contribute before the end of this year, your gift will be doubled through a generous matching grant. All donations will be applied to a $55,000 matching grant until December 31st. If you give $25, it becomes $50; $50 becomes $100; $500 becomes $1000.

Conservatives in Illinois must take advantage of this opportunity!

While the state of Illinois budget battles dominate the news, other skirmishes just as important continue on without as much attention. With the necessary financial resources, the Illinois Family Institute can rally the voices of common sense and reach more people so that the notion of boys showering with girls can be returned to its rightful place: the absurd file.

There are many struggles currently underway in the Land of Lincoln – the battle to prevent taxpayer funded abortions, stopping the expansion of gambling, protecting our God-given rights of free speech and conscience. The Illinois Family Institute is the organization that is ready to fight and win on these battlefields.

Please donate today – and commit to continuing your support throughout the new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

John Biver
Aurora, Illinois

P.S. If you would like to discuss with me how your financial support can help the work of the Illinois Family Institute, please contact the IFI office at (708) 781-9328 and they will put me in touch with you.  You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

I am pleased to announce that in an effort to help us raise $110,000 by the end of this month, a number of generous donors have offered to match donations to IFI all the way up to $55,000! So between now and the end of the year, you can double the impact of your giving!  

As we approach the end of 2016 and reflect on a year of challenges and rewards, I thank God for all his mercies and blessings. We have much to be grateful for.

Despite relentless attacks on the natural family, we know that God is at work in our lives, in our communities, and in his church. This year more than ever, I am grateful to have all of you as our partners in this fight.

Every year we face an onslaught from the Left: relentless attempts to maintain and fund the so-called “right” to destroy unborn lives; to erode conscience rights and religious liberty; to expand marijuana use and increase gambling locations; and to eliminate of gender distinctions–including drafting our daughters into military service, and sexually integrating restrooms and locker rooms.

The stakes in 2017 will remain high. The Left doesn’t give up on their godless worldview or walk away from the battle. They are already planning marches, forming coalitions, and devising strategies.  They are preparing to redouble their efforts to push their agenda in the media, through pop culture, in our government schools, and in our legislatures and courts.

If we can learn anything from the Left, it’s to be persistent, tenacious, and bold.

We should not give up! Will you stand with us in 2017 and double the impact of your donation today? Donate online today!

Please join us to make sure we can start next year strong by making a special tax-deductible gift before December 31st—every dollar up to $55,000 will be matched!

Next year, there will be tremendous opportunities for effecting positive cultural change. It is only through your support that we are able to work tirelessly to promote pro-family views. 

We must continue to stand up to the attacks on our inalienable, God-given parental rights and constitutionally protected rights of speech, religion, and freedom of assembly and association. 

The challenges facing Illinois are serious. Untangling the cultural mess created by politically correct humanists will be difficult. However, the Illinois Family Institute is committed to the mission to “boldly bring a biblical perspective to the public square.”

In 1516, lawyer, judge, and Christian martyr Thomas More wrote this in Utopia:

If you cannot pluck up bad ideas by the root…you must not therefore abandon the commonwealth. Don’t give up the ship in a storm because you cannot hold back the winds.

Four and a half centuries later in “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echoed More’s reproach of political inaction:

More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God.

With your prayers and support, IFI will continue to speak unashamedly and unequivocally about the fundamental truths concerning life, marriage, faith, decency, and the natural family.

Illinois Family Institute is needed now more than ever.  We are your voice in the public square!  

Please DONATE ONLINE or call the IFI office
at (708) 781-9328 to support our work.

We appreciate all that you do, and ask for your continued prayers and participation. Thank you for your support! We look forward to partnering with you in 2017 to stand courageously and winsomely for the values we share.

May God bless you during this Advent and Christmas season.

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. Help us reach our goal of raising a total of $110,000 by the end of the month — Donate today! To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328. You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, IL  60477

Former Minnesota U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann is a staunch pro-life and pro-family advocate, as well as a self-proclaimed “Constitutional Conservative.”

When Representative Bachmann delivered the keynote address at this fall’s Illinois Family Institute banquet, she noted that in just a few years we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of religious liberty arriving on this continent. In September 1620, 102 pilgrims set out from the old country with the goal of settling in a new land where they could live out their faith, free from persecution.

Bachmann’s speech reminded many in attendance why she was a contender during the 2012 presidential primary campaign. Her subject matter included both history and an impassioned summary of the Gospel message. She connected the work and trials of the pilgrim fathers to the grave threat to religious liberty that exists today.

At the outset, Bachmann emphasized the importance of the work of the Illinois Family Institute. She told the audience that since many people are too busy to do the much-needed work that IFI is doing, they should write a check equal to the value of the time they cannot give. Liberty has a cost, she said, and IFI needs the generous support of liberty-loving donors.

Too often, Bachmann pointed out, we can focus too much on the “horribles,” and be caught up in “gloom and doom” due to things happening at the national level that are “beyond appalling.”

She said that the truth is secure, however, as are the principles this nation was founded on. The problem is, as social conservatives know, that Americans “have lost the memory of what this magnificent society stands for and what it means…we’ve seen a non-stop assault on the truth.”

Bachmann then cited remarks made earlier in the evening by IFI’s executive director Dave Smith about the recently passed Illinois Senate Bill 1564, which requires that pro-life counselors and medical professionals to violate their conscience by telling patients about abortion. Bachmann said:

It is amazing to me that the law compels believers to say something they know isn’t true. Doctors, caregivers, people in pro-life centers — they’re forced, compelled, by a state entity, to share information that not only violates their moral conscience, but they know fundamentally, maybe even experientially in their own life — it is not only wrong — it will bring about death. And yet their government says they must say it.

For the first time since Roe v. Wade, Bachmann said, Illinois has passed into law pro-abortion legislation that violates religious liberty and the right of conscience.

“The very essence, the very spirit of the United States,” Bachmann went on to say, “didn’t begin with the Constitution — it didn’t begin with the Declaration of Independence.” Relating the story of the pilgrims in the early 1600s, she outlined the facts surrounding their search for a land where religious liberty would prevail. The Church of England, at the time, was exercising tyrannical powers in an attempt to shut down any disagreement with its own doctrines.

The pilgrims, she said, came to America “because they didn’t want to be compelled in speech or prohibited in speech.”

As we near the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims’ journey to the new country, religious liberty is threatened in the United States, Bachmann said, just as it was “in Germany in the 1930s.” We are seeing a repeat of history, as the Nazi government also told Christians and Christian churches what they can and cannot do.

We know from history, Bachmann noted, “what happens when truth is restricted in society.”

Even though religious liberty has existed since the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, she said, that liberty will only be maintained if we speak the truth. Michele Bachmann said IFI needs the generous support of men and women committed to preserving religious liberty and speaking the truth. The Illinois Family Institute exists to tell the truth.

Get your DVD copy of Michele Bachmann’s IFI 2016 banquet presentation for any donation of $15 or more (includes shipping and handling).  Your donation will help fund the work and ministry of Illinois Family Institute.

Click the button below to donate. Once we receive the donation we will snail-mail you a copy (or multiple copies) of this DVD.

Illinois’ April 4th consolidated election is just a few months away…and Christians are needed to run for local offices.

The Illinois Family Institute is completely dependent on the voluntary contributions of individuals just like you.  Without you, we would be unable to represent our Christian values in Springfield or fight the radical agenda being pushed by the godless Left in our culture.

Please consider chipping in $25 or $50 to support our work to stand boldly in the public square.

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation.

To make a credit card donation over the phone,
please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

You’ve likely heard of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,” but do you know about “Giving Tuesday”?

It was started in 2012 as a way of remembering that Thanksgiving isn’t about getting but about giving. You might say this five-year-old campaign is an anti-#gettingstufffriday or #materialismmonday movement.

Today,  I invite you to take part in this effort by supporting our Christian values through your support of the Illinois Family Institute, which works  diligently to advance politically-incorrect truth. It is a wonderful opportunity to help us uphold faith, family, life, marriage and religious freedom.

With Thanksgiving weekend now behind us, would you prayerfully consider giving#4Values on #GivingTuesday.

Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
~1 Thessalonians 5:18~

We have much to be thankful for at Illinois Family Institute. God has blessed this ministry tremendously through our faithful supporters.

Often we receive phone calls and email messages from people who tell us how much they appreciate the articles, action alerts, educational workshops, newsletters, Springfield updates and voter guides.

And we receive calls and email messages from people who say they pray for us regularly. We can’t express how much these prayers mean to us. Prayer is our greatest weapon, and it moves the hand of our protector.

Then there are those who give sacrificially. We can’t tell you how much this humbles and encourages us.

We recently received a call came from a woman with serious health issues. She doesn’t have much, but what she does have is the result of shopping at garage sales and secondhand stores so she can bless others. She deeply touched our hearts when she selflessly made a substantial donation to continue the work of IFI, telling us that Matthew 6:33 has guided her since childhood:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.

God has never let her down. He has always provided even in tough times. And as he continues to provide for and bless her, she in turn blesses others. What a heart for the Lord!

Which brings me to our greatest treasure: Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave of himself tirelessly; healed the afflicted; loved those deemed unlovable; and took upon himself the punishment we so rightly deserve, paying our sin debt in full and offering us eternal life as a free gift.

When we comprehend the magnitude of the price Jesus paid for us, our hearts overflow with gratitude—not just at Thanksgiving—but every day that he provides us with another breath to serve him and stand for his truth.

We have so much to be thankful for!

Early Voting and Vote by Mail are already well underway and the printed IFI Voter Guides are going fast!  In case you’re not aware, early voting has been proven to win elections for conservative candidates! And every vote is valuable!

You can request a Vote by Mail application by calling our office (708) 781-9328.

If you haven’t yet placed a bulk order for Voter Guides, please give us a call at the IFI office today at (708) 781-9328 or click HERE to email us your order.

These non-partisan Voter Guides comply with IRS guidelines and are legal for churches to distribute. Or you may simply want them to pass along to neighbors, co-workers and family.

It’s critical that people be informed voters when they cast their ballots in this General Election.  Dozens of candidates are running for federal offices, including President of the United States, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress.  Many more candidates are running for seats in the Illinois House or Illinois Senate in Springfield.

We are coming down to the wire.  The election is only one month away.  So don’t delay. Call us at (708) 781-9328 or email us today.

Background
Do you and your friends know where the state-wide and federal candidates stand on same-sex marriage, conscience rights, tax funding for Planned Parenthood, expanded gambling, comprehensive sex-education and religious liberty? These Guides will be the only source of information for many to make an informed decision.

But thousands of other Illinois citizens don’t know about the IFI Voter Guide. You can help provide them with this critical information, in the cause of good government, to make informed choices about all the state and federal candidates on the ballot.

We want Illinois citizens to have access to the IFI Voter Guide and we need your help in getting it into the hands of as many voters as we can, so order a dozen or more and give them to your friends, family and co-workers.

Americans have been given incredible blessings and freedoms; and as a result, we have a responsibility to participate in elections. Thank God we have an opportunity to cast our ballot for men and women whose values represent our own.

With your participation, together we will make a great impact in the state of Illinois and our republic, one vote at a time.

Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote family values?  Donate today.

Radio talk show host Dennis Prager is fond of saying that “boredom, affluence and secularism” have produced a nonsensical and selfish society.

You and I know that this selfishness—along with a strong dose of apathy—has also affected the Christian community.

You and I also know that Christian conservatives could have a greater influence on our culture and the political process if only more of us were willing to engage in prayer and activism.

Scripture exhorts us to do both: Pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-7), and live out our faith (James 1:22).

I believe that if every conservative Christian did this, our state and nation would not be submerged in the cesspool in which we currently find ourselves.

But the reality is only a small number of our readers took us up on the opportunity to join the IFI Prayer Team when we announced it back in 2013 and then again in 2016. (Maybe you didn’t see those emails and would like to join today?).

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of the winter of 2021 still smarting from the challenges of 2020. As we enter this season of Lent, it is important that we practice the disciplines of prayer, confession and fasting.

We also have to recognize that God calls His children to a spiritual warfare. Each one of us are called to fight this battle in different ways, but we are all expected to fight each battle on our knees and in fervent prayer. We need God to strengthen us, to defend us, and to give us wisdom. We cannot do it without His help.

Of course, this includes the public square and the political arena. Christians have got to become serious about praying consistently for our political leaders. Not only are we instructed to pray for our leaders in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, but we are taught that God can change the heart of a king just as easily as He turns a stream of water in Proverbs 21:1. And in James 5:16, we are told that the earnest prayers of God’s people are powerful and effective.

Throughout the legislative session, we send subscribers email alerts, and throughout the entire year we send cultural alerts (e.g., the Target Boycott alert), asking our supporters to use our turn-key Action Center to send emails or faxes to key decision-makers. The entire process takes between 60-90 seconds to complete. Are we so busy that we don’t have 90 seconds to engage in the process that may help reverse prevent the passage of laws and policies that undermine human flourishing in Illinois?

It is simple, convenient, and quick to use. Increased use of our Action Center could be the difference between winning and losing a legislative battle by one or two votes.

In an effort to change that trend, we launched an initiative that we call “Gideon’s Army.” We are looking for Christian men and women who have a heart for truth, and a deep concern for a culture that continues to buy the lies of the Left—a debased culture that we are leaving as our legacy to our children and grandchildren.

We are looking for subscribers who are willing to commit to the battle in the public square by committing to prayer and action on every alert we send out.

Will you volunteer to be part of IFI’s Gideon’s Army?

As we work to educate and encourage key lawmakers on these issues in the hope they will vote the right way, it is imperative that residents back home in their respective districts also speak out on these issues. Believe me when I say that most lawmakers sit up and take notice when they get a significant response to any legislative proposal. When Christians fail to be bold and take action choosing instead to remain silent, humanists and atheists fill the void with their voices and often win the day.

After a quick survey of some of our subscribers, we heard two main excuses why like-minded Christians do not act on our action alerts:

1.) We assume others are doing it.

2.)  We don’t have the time.

Well, after reading this article, I hope you understand that most others are not responding to our calls for action. It is incumbent on us to act!  You and I need to do it.  We all need to do it. And it takes only 60-90 seconds of your time.

I know you are concerned about the degradation of our society on many fronts, but we must do more than feel concerned. We must respond in prayer and action. God requires it!

IFI does all the homework on these issues for you. We tee up these action alerts for you. It will take only 90 seconds of your time to say a pithy prayer and take action!

If you are tired of the deafening silence coming from our churches, you are the type of activist we are looking for to fight for children, the family, religious liberty, and decency alongside us in the public square.

Judges 7 tells us the story of Gideon’s Army. God assembled 300 soldiers to take on 135,000. I am hoping that we are able to enlist significantly more who are willing to stop the rapid erosion of truth.

If you and other subscribers will commit to take action on our email alerts, we trust that we can win more battles for the hearts, minds, souls and lives of real people!

Surely you have the time to spend a few minutes a couple of times a week to make your Christian voice heard. There’s so much at stake!

As a member of IFI’s Gideon’s Army, we are asking you to commit to responding to every action item we send out as soon as you get it.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to sign up for IFI’s Gideon’s Army! If all of our subscribers prayed and took action on each and every call to action we sent out, we firmly believe our state would change!

I realize the tone of this message is strong, but it needs to be.  We need your help. We need your involvement.

And we need the encouragement your participation in this effort brings to us! Our work here in Illinois can at times be discouraging. When IFI subscribers respond to our action alerts, we are encouraged and energized.  It is good to know that we are not alone in this battle.

And if you know any like-minded, God-fearing, truth-proclaiming, disciple-making believers, please recruit them to this cause by encouraging them to sign up for our email alerts. Send them HERE.

Thank you for your partnership and for prayerfully considering joining Gideon’s Army!

We are currently taking orders for our 2016 General Election Voter Guide. The non-partisan IFI Voter Guide will help you learn more about the candidates on the November 8th ballot and their positions on important issues that directly affect your family and the culture around us.

We will be printing a limited number of Voter Guides, so make sure you get your order in soon.  The suggested donation to cover the cost of printing and mailing is $25 per one hundred guides.  (Release date for the Voter Guide is scheduled for mid-September.).

IFI’s Voter Guides do not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party and are legal for distribution in churches under IRS guidelines. Ask your pastor if you can make them available in your church or pass along to friends, neighbors, co-workers and family.

Take ACTION:  CLICK HERE to place your order for the printed IFI Voter Guide to distribute to your church, civic group, neighbors and family.

Hopefully all of your friends, neighbors and fellow church congregants are registered to vote.  Just think about how many people you know who have moved and need to re-register. Think of how many teens you know who are turning 18 and can vote for the first time this year. Consider engaging citizens who have not voted in the past to become actively involved in impacting our nation’s future!

Voter registration has never been easier!  You can now register to vote online at the Illinois Board of Election.

Illinois is a very large state and we need your help to get the IFI Voter Guide into every church that is concerned about the direction our state and nation are heading. Would you ask your pastor if your church will take the IFI Voter Guide?

This project is made possible through YOUR support.
Please consider a donation to help us reach even more people!